Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Knowing the difference between the var-
ious dynamics properties (or personalities)
is important. But knowing how they work
together is equally (if not more ) important.
You see, when you assign a dynamic prop-
erty to an object, you are really asking
LightWave to perform a simulation of phys-
ics on the object. Physics is the study of
matter (hard objects, soft objects, particles)
and energy (wind, gravity, collision). But
more specifically, physics deals with the
interaction between the two. Assigning a
dynamic property to your object is not
enough. You need to understand how each
of the properties work together in order to
produce a successful simulation.
Think about Newton's Third Law of
Motion. It states that for every action there
is an equal and opposite reaction. In terms
of the Dynamics Community, we would say:
For every personal dynamic, you should also
have a social dynamic to which it is
accountable .
Consider this. When you place a can of
soda on your desk, the can doesn't fall
straight to the ground because it collides
with the desk. To build this as a Dynamics
simulation, you would apply HardFX to the
can of soda and Collision to the
desk. One without the other
would cause the simulation to
fail, but together they produce
the desired results. You should
keep this rule in mind as you
build your Dynamics Community.
When you add a personal
dynamic, make sure that you
have a social dynamic some-
where in your scene to which it
is accountable. This brings me to
the most important issue of them
all: When is it right to build a
Dynamics simulation and, more
to the point, when is it not?
Dynamic Decisions
Dynamics can be incredibly powerful, but
they are far from foolproof. Just as people
can be temperamental, so can Dynamics.
There have been numerous occasions
where making a single adjustment has sent
my entire simulation into chaotic fits. And
since every simulation is different, it can be
difficult to troubleshoot. The important
thing to consider, then, is whether or not
it's worth the time to set up a Dynamics
simulation. You must ask yourself, “Can I
do this by hand faster or easier than the
time it's going to take to set up and tweak a
simulation?” If I'm animating a basketball
player shooting hoops, it would be easier
for me to animate the ball by hand than it
would be to set up a simulation. But if I
were animating a pool hall junkie shooting a
game of 8-ball, that would be a different
story. Animating the complex interaction of
each ball on the pool table while accurately
replicating its rotation and constantly
changing velocity would be time consuming
to say the least. But it can be done with
Dynamics in a matter of minutes. So let this
serve as sage advice to you. Dynamics are a
Figure 19-3: Animating a pool table is the perfect job for
Dynamics.
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